honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 21, 2003

Surfing not a liability, advocates tell BOE

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A handful of people who want to see surfing become an official school sport told the Board of Education Thursday night that the sport is misunderstood by opponents who believe surfing is dangerous.

The surfing supporters testified before the board and said the primary concern about surfing is liability. A Department of Education memo last year said sanctioning surfing could result in "potential economic liability" because of the high risk of surfing and likelihood of accidents.

But the supporters said that those who believe the benefits of sanctioning surfing are outweighed by the risks are wrong.

Kim Ball presented injury statistics that he said he obtained from high school trainers that showed most injuries occurred in high school football and girls soccer. Ball, who flew from Maui to testify, said there have been no injuries in surfing meets since several high schools began competing on the club level years ago.

"It's disheartening to read and hear from Department of Education representatives that say football is a controlled environment where as surfing isn't," Ball said. "What kind of control do you have when a 250-pound lineman puts a hit on a 150-pound running back?"

Ball, who has organized surfing meets, said contest officials would not send high school surfers into dangerous surf. He suggested that the board institute surfing as a pilot sport and then decide if it should become permanent.

Iris Gonzales, a science teacher at Kahuku High who also coaches the surf club there, said surfing will give students who don't participate in other sports an opportunity to represent their schools.

"Students would be more motivated to attend school because schools would have something to catch their interest and tie them to the school community," Gonzales said. "They would be more motivated to keep up their grades because they would have to maintain the OIA (2.0) grade-point-average criteria in order to compete."

Linda Robb, former region director for the National Scholastic Surfing Association, said more people would have turned out for last night's meeting but many students are participating in the NSSA's national championships in California.

BOE Chairman Herbert Watanabe said the board's committee on student services will discuss the issue at its July 15 meeting and may make a recommendation to the full board.